A Well-designed Business® | Interior Design | Designers | Business |interior Design Success

Today on the show we have Grace McNamara. Grace has owned and produced window fashion Vision magazine since 1986. Vision is the business publication for the window covering industry in North America. I can certainly attest to this, we have subscribed to this magazine since the very beginning of our business! It is always full from cover to cover of useful information. In addition, Grace also produces the international window coverings expo, the industries national trade show and educational conference. Also, in 1990 Grace developed the window fashion certified professionals program. The longest ongoing training for window coverings professionals. Grace is a member of the international furnishings and design association and a press member of ASID and IIDA. Show Notes: What two areas has Grace niched her business in? Why did Grace choose window treatments? Is there anyone else that addresses this market the way that Grace does? How did she come across the cake design business? What was the practical and

I have another outstanding show for you today! Corey Damen Jenkins is with me today and he is no exception to the amazing people I have been meeting. What you will learn from Corey Damen is that he is one of the good guys. He is the kind of person that everyone would agree is very open, sincere, humble and giving. What you may or may not know about Corey is that he is the principal of Corey Damen Jenkins Associates which is located in Birmingham, Michigan.  In 2011, television audiences voted him the winning design star of HGTV’s Show House Showdown. Since then it has been a whirlwind of accomplishments! Today we are going to talk about how his lifelong dream came true in 2016 with his launch of his first couture collection of furniture, Corey Damen Jenkins exclusively for Leathercraft. This collection was nominated for the prestigious 2017 Arts Award for the Best Product Design. Once you start to listen to this episode it will be no surprise to you that Corey Damen believes in giving back to the design comm

On this power talk Friday I am excited to say that Kimberley Seldon with me again on the show. If you remember she was just on the show about a month ago, and she has her interior design business but she also has Business of Design where she teaches interior designers how to run their businesses more effectively and more profitably. Kimberley’s Business of Design is one of our happy sponsors here! Show Notes: How long did it take Kimberley to write her third book? When does her third book come out? Does Kimberley like flat fees? What are the steps to turning your business’s business model around? What systems should be in place when you decide to “try”? Should the fees or the client wish list change? Make sure to document! Does a designer have to track everything even though they have a flat fee? Are there projects that have no deficiencies? How should a designer expect to be paid? How can you make yourself sound professional and confident when talking about money? How can you tell when you have

On the show today I am so excited to introduce you all to Nicole Heymer! Nicole is the owner of Curio Electro Boutique Web Design Agency that specializes in branding, content strategy and web design and development for interior design firms and other innovative businesses. She has been helping more interior designers bring in more leads and increase their visibility online since 2011! I know we have talked about branding on the show more than a couple times, but this is such an important aspect of your business in this age of social media. I promise there is more to learn about branding. Show Notes: Why is branding so important for interior designers? How does Nicole divide the ways to look at branding? What are the benefits of having a brand? How can you let people know what you really want or enjoy to design? Can you have too much “language” on your about me page? Give the reasons why! How does a client determine “your worth” and what to pay an interior designer? How should you pick your colors?

Today one the show I am talking with Michelle Nussbaumer. Michelle is an interior designer, textile and furniture designer, an author and owns a beautiful shop: Ceylon et Cie located in the Dallas design district. Michelle’s journey includes a husband and four children and it starts in west Texas. She goes from New York, Rome, Los Angeles and all the way back to Texas. Recently her book for Rizzoli, Wanderlust: Interiors That Bring the World Home was released and it includes thirty years of interior design as well as her travels. Today Michelle and I talk about her career, her opinions on the business and her globetrotting lifestyle. Show Notes: How does Michelle keep up with everything she has going on? Does Michelle have different teams or organizations for each project? Where did Michelle just sign a licensing agreement? How are her schedules set up and what system(s) does she use? Is her business a family business? How big is her team and who does what? How does she try to make all of her home de

Welcome back to another power talk Friday! I’m happy to let you know I have Marianne Cherico back with me! If you remember episode 75 Marianne and I talked about her philosophy on asking “what would the CEO do?” in order to get yourself organized daily, weekly and yearly. Just to give you a reminder of who Marianne is and what she does she has owned and operated a successful home staging business since 2005. She also spent 27 years in the real estate business and 17 of those years she was part of a top producing New England real estate team. Marianne has coached many home stagers all over the country on how to up-level their business by developing both mindset skills and strategy. She helps home stagers own their magnificent and create their life and a business that sets their souls on fire. Show Notes: What do home stagers, in particular, seem to struggle with? What is the inner and outer game? How is the outer game affected by the inner game? How does she decide how and what a client needs to do to

I am happy to tell you all that I have Barclay Butera on the show today! Barclay Butera is the creative force behind the Barclay Butera design firm and the showrooms located in New Port Beach, California, West Hollywood, California, Corona Del Moore, California and Park City Utah. Butera is renowned for his approachable elegance and glamorous coastal chic interiors. His passion for interior design began two decades ago! You will learn today how it has grown into an impressive lifestyle enterprise that in addition to his interior design business he also has licensing with some of the industries most respected partners including Kravet, Bradburn Gallery Home, Eastern Ascents, Highland House Furniture, Left Bank Art and several others. Not to mention he has five coffee table books. Show Notes: When did Barclay realize that he wanted to be in the interior design business? How old was Barclay when he started his first business? Was Barclay organized enough that his second location was as successful as his fir

Today on the show I am happy to welcome Charrisse Johnston, chair of ASID National! She is also the principal and the firm-wide practice leader of Steinberg Architects. Steinberg Architects has offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and Shanghai. Charrisse was previously the senior associate and studio operations leader at Gensler where she managed and designed K-12, higher education, and workplace projects. Before that, she was Vice President of corporate planning for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter where she oversaw the companies consolidated financial and strategic planning efforts. Today we talk about all kinds of things including her career path which also includes both behavioral psychology and a successful wedding planning business. We will also talk about how she was introduced to ASID as a student in California. Charrisse is smart, down to earth and an inspiring leader. Show Notes: Would Charrisse say that entrepreneurs have a better start out with a financial background? What is Charrisse’s

Guess what? This is our six month anniversary! I have two very special shows for you this week. The first show we are going to meet one of the masterminds behind the fabulous curatedkravet.com platform. Curatedkravet.com is celebrating a few milestones of its own. This spring marked the one year anniversary of the hugely successful curatedkravet.com! Our special guest today is Will Hunt Lewis, Senior Director of Merchandising of curatedkravet.com! In this position, he oversees all business done with merchandising and product development for all product category. Today Will Hunt and I are going to talk all curatedkravet.com from quality, delivering times, to the designers that curate the rooms. Show Notes: How long has Will Hunt been with Kravet? What were the vision/goals for curatedkravet.com? What are some of the best features of curatedkravet.com? What kind of products are on the website? How are the products sourced? What does he love best about the website? How is customer service handled? How

On the show today you are going to meet Sarah Daniele! Sarah was recommended to me by a previous guest and my friend, Rachel Moriarty. So, who is Sarah Daniele? She is a very smart, take- the- bull- by- the- horns type person, interior designer and also happens to be the co-founder and CEO of Mydoma Studio!  Sarah has a degree in interior design, has worked for others and then eventually started her own business, Mydoma Studio. Her business focuses on residential renovations, add-ons, kitchen, and bath. Today she is going to share with us a little about her career. Show Notes: When did Sarah start her new software? What were her guidelines for her new software system? Was her software originally for other designers? When did she decide to let other designers use her program? What changes were made to her software program to fit other designers? How did she know that other designers would need a different program than herself? How did she build her beta team to test the new product? Is Mydoma Studio

Have you heard of Chairish yet? If you haven’t yet I am so happy to introduce you to this brand and Anna Brockway: one of the founders of this brand! Listen in to Anna’s story of how she started her company only three and a half years ago and it already has 150000 items available on the site Show Notes: What is Chairish? Why did she start the business? What is the Chairish pink book? Is it a business or a feature? Research the market! What kind of special features does the Chairish site have? For the rest of the show notes, please visit our Resource Center-- Window Works  

Deborah Rosenberg is here with us today on Power Talk Friday. If you remember Deborah was first on the show on episode 82. Deborah is the founder of an ultra-luxury design firm, Dimare Design and www.certifiedcrueltyfree.net. She is a leader in cruelty-free and wellness healthy design. During episode 82 she talks about her passion for animal’s rights and how she has skewed her interior design firm to stand firmly behind this passion of hers to be cruelty-free. Deborah believes that luxury design should look good, feel good and do good.  Deborah has also been on TLC as a featured designer; she has appeared on the Today Show; she writes articles and lectures on humane and wellness design. If you haven’t listened to episode 82 you need to go back and listen to it because you will get full details of how she runs her business and her great business principles. She mentioned in that episode that she was working on a certification program for interior designers, if you have a passion to bring this to your business

On the show, today we are lucky to have Amanda Gates with us! Amanda is the principal of Gates Interior Design, a Feng Shui practitioner, a podcaster, an award-winning blogger and very soon a published author. She has been seamlessly marrying interior design and Feng shui for over 17 years to help her high-end clients awaken their souls and rejuvenate their spirit all through the art of intentional design. She is best known for her classic design with a modern twist and was selected by Nashville Home and Garden Magazine as one of the top designers to watch. Her designs and educational blog which was named top 25 interior design blogs in the world! Amanda is quite accomplished and is very generous to share her advice. Show Notes: How does she incorporate her design with the phrase “good design enhances your lifestyle but intentional design enhances your quality of life?” What does intentional design mean? What is BTB? How long has Amanda been studying Feng Shui? How does she divide Feng shui and interio

Julianne Taylor is the founder and creative director of Taylor Burke Home: a luxury home décor brand offering bold, unexpected and sophisticated in furniture and lighting. Since launching Taylor Burke Home in 2012 Julianne has quickly emerged one of the home décor’s most prominent female entrepreneurs. She is also known in the industry as a trend setter and taste maker. She has a BFA in interior design from the University of Georgia and a Masters in Human Resources from the University of South Carolina.  Show Notes: What famous show did Julianne appear on? How did Taylor Burke Home come into thoughts? What were the biggest factors getting Taylor Burke Home going? How did she do a proof of concept to make sure her business was going to be successful? How much money do you need to start your business? What is “SCORE” and how can it help when starting a business? Be careful of the dream killers! What made Atlanta the place to debut? What sort of products does Julianne have at Taylor Burke Home? How m

I’m so glad you tuned into power talk Friday! We have Kae Whitaker with us again! This is Kae’s third time on the show. If you have missed her first two shows you need to know she is a Houston-based branding and business developing strategist. Her company caters to personal coaches, personal brands, interior designers and event industry professionals. Kae’s personal coaching focuses on the whole brand. She understands very clearly that in order for you to be successful that all the pieces within your brand company have to line up. With over ten years of sales and marketing development she understands the way consumers think, what makes them want to buy your product or service. She has dedicated herself to helping creative businesses become more profitable and more productive. We are going to do an end of year planning. This is going to be a two-parter. Kae is going to talk to us about looking back on our year and what we need to evaluate to make good decisions moving forward. Krista Coupar is going to be talk

Today’s show was a departure for me. It was recorded live at the Javits Center at the boutique design show in New York. If you are unfamiliar with BDNY let me give you some background. Boutique design New York is the leading trade fair and conference for hospitality design industry. Fall of 2016 marked the seventh year in a row that designers, architects, and other industry professionals gathered together for the two-day event November 13th and 14th. If you are currently designing for hospitality, contract or commercial or you aspire to work in the industry this is the show to attend. There are rows and rows of booths full of samples and sales representatives waiting to tell you about their latest products and services.  The first interview is with Irina Peer. Irena is the director of design and merchandise for the Robert Allen Group. Robert Allen was showcasing two of its latest collections: Looks Natural and Performance Upholstery. They also gave an exclusive sneak peek at 701 Velvet, their new line they l

I am so grateful to have Kimberley Seldon on the show today. She has been requested by more than one guest that has been on the show. Kimberley is not only going to further beautiful luxury design, but also help by teaching interior designers how to emulate you and have a fabulous business. Kimberley is a brilliant and talented woman of many trades. She is an interior designer, editor, keynote speaker, broadcast personality and runs her online platform “Business of Design” where she teaches professional development to designers, decorators, stagers and stylists!  Show Notes: When did Kimberley have her “come to Jesus” moment in her career? What caused her to have a “come to Jesus” moment? Is it possible that interior designers make mistakes? Should you bill the client if a mistake happens outside the company? What were some of the challenges working with her own business coach and transitioning with her coach? How did she make her paperwork not suck? Why is it important to have good paperwork? How d

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! I am delighted to have Thomas Corley with me today. Tom is first and foremost fellow New Jersey folk. Tom is a CPA, financial planner and an author. It’s his books and research he has done for these books and speaking engagements on this topic that drew me to him and his platform. He has written three books so far: Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals, Rich Kids: How to Raise Our Children to be Happy and Successful in Life, Change your Habits, Change your life. I love topics that teach us something about taking ownership of ourselves as people, as business people, as parents, employees etc. and pushes us to better ourselves. Today Tom is going to talk to us about what he has found while doing his research and how to help yourself help yourself.  Show Notes:  Did Tom grow up wealthy? What does his research contain and how does he go about doing his research? What are rich and poor habits? What did he learn while doing his research? What is the compar

Welcome back to another episode of A Well Design Business! Today on the show I’m going to talk with Mark McDonough, the founder and editor of “Tastefully Inspired” blog and the curator of the Instagram feed for “Tastefully Inspired”. Mark’s skills and experience blend a very deep understanding of how the internet and social media at the bits and bytes level with some extensive talent promotion experience from a previous career. Mark has worked to build the brands of various top designers like the Robert Thomas Collection, Clodagh Design, Timothy Corrigan, Terry Hunziker, Lori Weitzner and many more. Mark explains that he believes that the world of design is changing and good design more than ever needs to be seen. Therefore, he decides to create Tastefully Inspired to showcase the true tastemakers in our industry. Show Notes: When did Mark launch “Tastefully Inspired”? How did Mark decide to use the design industry as his nitch business? How long has Mark worked in the marketing industry? How does Mark

Ashlina Kaposta is the design blogger behind The Decorista, a household name in the world of interior design blogging. Ashlina works around-the-clock hours as an interior designer, site technician and writer, and she   attends design conferences as either a speaker or a member of the audience.  She has recently launched  a new self-adhesive wallpaper line with graphic stripes, animal prints, and other fun designs!  Here she is on our podcast discussing her inspired designs,  motivated moves, energized creations, and  life-changing choices and decisions.   Show Notes How Ashlina started her career Why she created the blog Decorista Her tips for building a successful business Importance of taking courses to enhance business skills Why enhancing speaking and writing skills is necessary The role of her blog in her success Attending industry events is very helpful Attending shows and visiting showrooms had a role in her success Continue learning everything you can about the industry and the people in it